The executive should “help Northern Irish airports compete with Dublin”, according to NI Conservatives’ spokesman, Mark Brotherston.
“Our airports are absolutely vital to the Northern Ireland economy, as links for business and as gateways for tourists”, Mark emphasised. “Unfortunately, with more flights and lower taxes at Dublin Airport an increasing number of passengers are going south. The executive needs to put together a plan to address this problem and help the aviation industry.”
“We’ve said that ministers in Northern Ireland should make it clear that they want the power to cut short-haul Air Passenger Duty and that they would use that power if they had it. Currently APD typically adds £26 to the cost of a round trip, while the equivalent change from Dublin is €3. Clearly that’s a significant disadvantage. As part of the budget the government introduced support for new routes at regional airports and we also need to make sure we take advantage of this scheme.”
“We want to see a cross party committee on aviation at Stormont, dedicated to attracting new airlines and new routes, as well as listening to the industry and responding to its needs. Two vital aspects of Northern Ireland’s future are the ability to do business with the rest of the world and the capacity to bring tourists to our shores. It’s time that the vital role which are airports can play was recognised and addressed.”